Semiconductor fabrication plant | fabrication plant
FactorywhereintegratedcircuitsaremanufacturedInthemicroelectronicsindustry,asemiconductorfabricationplant(commonlycalledafab;sometimesfoundry)isafactorywheredevicessuchasintegratedcircuitsaremanufactured.Abusinessthatoperatesasemiconductorfabforthepurposeoffabricatingthedesignsofothercompanies,suchasfablesssemiconductorcompanies,isknownasafoundry.Ifafoundrydoesnotalsoproduceitsowndesigns,itisknownasapure-playsemiconductorfoundry.Ifafoundryproducesitsowndesigns,itisknownasanintegrateddevicema...
Factory where integrated circuits are manufactured
In the microelectronics industry, a semiconductor fabrication plant (commonly called a fab; sometimes foundry) is a factory where devices such as integrated circuits are manufactured.
A business that operates a semiconductor fab for the purpose of fabricating the designs of other companies, such as fabless semiconductor companies, is known as a foundry. If a foundry does not also produce its own designs, it is known as a pure-play semiconductor foundry. If a foundry produces its own designs, it is known as an integrated device manufacturer (IDM)
Fabs require many expensive devices to function. Estimates put the cost of building a new fab over one billion U.S. dollars with values as high as $3–4 billion not being uncommon. TSMC invested $9.3 billion in its Fab15 300 mm wafer manufacturing facility in Taiwan.[1] The same company estimations suggest that their future fab might cost $20 billion.[2]
The centra...